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Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT FOOD LIFELINE - Public Policy Manager
NEWS & EVENTS
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT FOOD LIFELINE
Public Policy Manager
Food Lifeline is currently hiring a full time Public Policy Manager to oversee our public policy efforts to end hunger in Western Washington, and position Food Lifeline in the community and with public officials as a premiere voice on the problem of hunger. This position participates as a leader in local advocacy coalitions, and is responsible for the development and implementation of a collaborative advocacy plan. Food Lifeline’s Public Policy Manager is also responsible for the oversight of Food Lifeline’s Grassroots Advocacy program.
This position requires a Bachelor’s degree. Master's degree preferred in public policy/ administration, social work, political science, communications or a related field. Qualified candidates should possess at least three years of local, state, and/or federal-based legislative advocacy experience and knowledge of the policy and political environment in Washington.
To apply, please review the full job description (54K .pdf) and send a resume and cover letter detailing your interest to jobs@fll.org. Food Lifeline is an equal opportunity employer.
Helping Food Bank visitors save money on Health care and Medicare
Do visitors to your food bank have questions about Medicare or how to save money on their health care costs?
The Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program can help!
SHIBA is a free and public service of the Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner. We provide free and unbiased information and assistance to help people understand their health insurance choices and save money.
We can:
- Come to your staff meetings to explain our services and answer questions
- Come to your food bank during distribution days to talk to people
- Supply publications and materials about how to save money on Medicare
- Explain how make choices for Medicare Part D enrollment that could save money
- Provide one-to-one counseling in person or over the phone
For more information, contact:
Liz Mercer
Regional Trainer- King & Snohomish Counties
Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA)
Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner
Office 206-368-7197 Mobile 360-250-6935
Help your community get access to health care - become a SHIBA volunteer today!
Network Advocacy More Important than Ever Amidst Constant Threats
We are writing to you today to update you on the latest threats to federal anti-hunger programs emerging in Washington, DC, to thank you for your tremendous advocacy efforts to date and to ask you to continue to keep up the pressure.
As you may know, while negotiations are ongoing, it appears that the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have reached an agreement to cut $23 billion from agriculture programs to present to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction. We are hearing that cuts to nutrition assistance programs like SNAP are likely be in the range of $4-$5 billion. While we do not yet know the details of these cuts (they are still being developed), we believe the Agriculture Committee leadership recommendations will protect benefit levels but may restrict eligibility and cut back essential services like SNAP Nutrition-Ed.
At the same time, we are seeing new threats emerge through the Appropriations process. Late last Thursday, an amendment was brought to the Senate floor that would have restricted categorical eligibility in SNAP. We alerted the network and you responded. Thanks to your calls and emails, the amendment was defeated by a bipartisan vote of 41 to 58. While the political situation remains fluid and unpredictable, one thing is clear—the threats are ongoing and the federal safety-net is at risk.
Our ability to serve the clients who depend on us could be hampered significantly. Rising need, declining food streams, and a weakened federal safety net means food banks already stretched to capacity will have to do more with less. As Congress considers cutting anti-hunger programs to reduce the budget, we have to be a voice for hungry Americans whose wellbeing depends on these programs. Quite simply, it is inconceivable to us that at a time of record need, with one in six Americans struggling with hunger, Congress would consider cutting these critical programs.
We must urge Congress to balance the budget the right way. Our advocacy strategy to defend against cuts to anti-hunger programs is laid out below. It is based on three core components:
1) Engage Congress directly, both inside and outside the beltway, with a message of protecting anti-hunger programs from cuts.
2) Leverage local media to localize and personalize anti-hunger programs, clear up myths and get out the facts, and get our message to new audiences.
3) Mobilize partners to demonstrate broad national and local support for protecting anti-hunger programs.
The stakes are incredibly high, so we are calling on each and every one of you to join us in a coordinated advocacy campaign over the next several months. Our team has laid out specific advocacy actions to coincide with important votes or deadlines in Congress, which we will continue to update as the situation unfolds. Every Monday, we will issue a new way to tell our side of the story both locally and nationally. This week, our focus is on responding to the myths being propagated about SNAP and leveraging the upcoming Congressional recesses to engage your Members of Congress directly. While our team meets with Members of Congress in Washington, DC, it is critically important that they continue to hear from their constituents back home. Here’s how:
1) National letter writing campaign. We just completed a paper plate campaign for Hunger Action Month, but we must keep up the pressure. Organize your staff, agencies, volunteers, clients, board members, and donors to write a personal letter to your Members of Congress about the importance of protecting anti-hunger programs in the budget negotiations and the impact those programs have in your state or district.
2) Get in front of your Member of Congress. As you can see from the advocacy calendar, both the House and Senate have upcoming recesses. Use this as an opportunity to drop by their district office, attend a town hall meeting, or invite them to a site visit.
3) Keep the calls coming. We will alert the network when we have an opportunity to influence the legislative process. Be on the lookout for action alerts on both Appropriations and the Super Committee in the coming weeks to help us show strong constituent support for protecting the programs.
Your voice carries incredible weight within your community, and a coordinated Washington, DC and network response is necessary if we hope to defend the programs that are important to us. We so appreciate the incredible work you have done so far and have heard from several Members of Congress that they are hearing from us in Washington and in their districts, and that it is having an impact. We hope you will continue to keep up your tremendous efforts. Together we can make a difference.If you have any questions about how you can get involved, please contact Brett Weisel at bweisel@feedingamerica.org.
Vicki Escarra
John Sayles, Chairman of the Network Policy Engagement and Advocacy Committee (PEAC)
Thursday, October 20, 2011
From FRAC: URGENT ACTION: Vote to Cut SNAP Cat-El on Table for Senate
| Vote to Cut SNAP Cat-El on Table for Senate The Agriculture Appropriations bill is currently on the Senate floor, and Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has introduced an amendment (810) that would eliminate categorical eligibility for SNAP. Such a cut would take 1 million needy people from more than 40 states out of the SNAP program, take free school breakfast and lunch away from 200,000 low-income children, increase hunger among children and seniors alike, and vastly increase state administrative costs and red tape. The vote on this amendment can happen as early as tonight.With one in six households struggling against hunger, this is not the time to make drastic cuts and add unnecessary red tape in valuable nutrition programs. Contact your Senators immediately and urge them to oppose any attempt to harm SNAP. | TAKE ACTION Contact your Senators tonight. Tell them to oppose Amendment 810 to the Agriculture Appropriations bill, and to oppose any other attempts to cut or structurally change SNAP. |
Monday, October 17, 2011
From Children's Alliance: Register for 'Have a Heart for Kids Day'
We can't let that happen. Legislators will return to Olympia for a Special Legislative Session on November 28th to balance the state budget. The cuts being proposed now are not only the same cuts we’ve fought in recent years – they are far worse. Because so much is at stake, Children’s Alliance is organizing a special Have a Heart for Kids Day of advocacy during the Special Legislative Session, on Friday, December 2nd. Please join us to stand up for kids and families, and stand in the way of more devastating cuts. Have a Heart for Kids Day Major cuts are proposed to kids’ health care, food and nutrition programs, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and more. Our state’s leaders are considering abandoning an entire group of children and cutting nearly all support programs for tens of thousands of children in immigrant families. 2011 "Special" Session Friday, December 2, 2011 United Churches of Olympia and the Washington State Capitol 9am to 3pm Register online now. In every corner of Washington state, in every zip code in every city and town, families are raising kids through hard times, and suffering the pain of the recession. The massive proposed cuts will worsen the pain, put children's lives at risk, and take Washington's kids down a dangerous path. Please join Children's Alliance for Have a Heart for Kids Day on Friday, December 2, 2011. It's going to take all of us to beat back these terrible cuts. Join us and call on legislators to reject devastating cuts and choose a new path forward. Register now. |
From The Rescue Mission: The Power of Sharing
Rescue Mission Blog
The Power of Sharing
Seems like most every parent I know spends a lot of time trying to teach their children to share. It must be important. Yet somehow non-profits, churches and other agencies that really should want to share and benefit from the expertise and strengths of likely partner organizations seem to want to dig in and go it alone.Years ago I while doing strategic coaching for a group of churches and Christian schools in South America, I became aware of a church that needed a big tent for an outdoor event. Fortunately, I also knew of another church nearby that owned just such a tent. When I tried to connect the two, it was the church that was looking for a tent that eventually squashed the deal. They wanted their own tent, despite that fact they weren't going to use to much and it was thousands of dollars they didn't have. Sad, especially considering their all part of the same spiritual family.
This isn't unusual, it happens all the time.
A few thoughts on partnership:
Take the first step. If you believe in partnership and collaboration, stop doing something you are mediocre at and partner with another group that is great at that.
Think results, not credit. Ideally, non-profits should be out to put people first and see positive outcomes first and foremost. But, we're human, and often people just want credit for doing something, even if it's the wrong thing. Don't do that.
Look to include: if you've got something good, share it with others and with other organizations.
Participate: How would you add to this list? Why is it so hard for non-profits and other groups to share and collaborate?
David Curry
Read all of David Curry's blogs at http://blog.rescue-mission.org or visit the Rescue Mission at http://www.rescue-mission.org
Friday, October 14, 2011
Important Dates To Know for Government Budget Crisis
STATE BUDGET: Since the national recession began, the state has made nearly $10 billion in cuts. The most current revenue forecast shows that the state may have a further decrease of $1.4 billion. Governor Gregoire has warned that additional reductions will continue to hurt public health, safety and education programs.
While each of these items are subject to change, here is some information about upcoming important state legislative dates:
- October 24th-Governor Gregoire presents her budget plan recommendations
- November 17th-New budget forecast is released
- November 28th-Washington State Legislature meets for special session (can last as long as 30 days)
NATIONAL BUDGET: The recently established Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction's (referred to as the Congressional “super committee”) goal is to come up with ways to reduce the deficit by $1.5 trillion over fiscal years 2012 through 2021 and in so doing, “provide recommendations and legislative language that will significantly improve the short-term and long-term fiscal imbalance of the Federal government.”
If the Committee cannot agree on a report and legislative language, then across-the-board reductions in spending must be implemented, with annual cuts starting in 2013 – split 50/50 between defense and domestic spending.
While each of these items are subject to change, here is some information about upcoming important national legislative dates:
- October 14: House and Senate committees must transmit to the Joint Select Committee their “recommendations” for law changes necessary to meet the goal of Joint Select Committee
- November 23: the Joint Select Committee must vote on a report which will contain its findings, conclusions, and recommendations, as well as the dollar estimates provided by the Congressional Budget Office, and legislative language in support of those recommendations.
- No less than one month after November 23, if the Joint Select Committee approves a report and legislative language, it must be voted on by both the Senate and House — without amendments.
Monday, October 10, 2011
From WSU Extension's Food Sense: Portion Sizes
Portion Size
We hear we need to control our portion sizes but what does that really mean? Here are some examples of a portion according to USDA.
1 serving grains:
- 1⁄2 cup oatmeal
- 1 cup flake cereal
- 1⁄2 English muffin
- 1⁄2 hot dog bun
- 1⁄2 cup rice or pasta
- 6 saltine crackers
1 serving vegetables:
- 1⁄2 cup chopped raw vegetables
- 1 cup leafy greens
- 1⁄2 cup cooked vegetables
1 serving fruit:
- 1⁄2 cup sliced fruits
- 1 small apple or orange
- 1 small banana
- 1⁄2 cup berries
1 serving dairy:
- 8 ounces milk
- 8 ounces yogurt
- 1⁄2 cup ice cream
- 2 ounces processed cheese
- 1 1⁄2 ounce hard cheese
1 serving protein
- 3 ounces cooked meat
- 3 ounces cooked chicken
- 3 ounces cooked fish
- 1 ounce nuts
Friday, October 7, 2011
From Food Lifeline: MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONGRESS TODAY!
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